join us

For 2027 we have funded openings for two postdoctoral researchers and at least three PhD students, in Computer Science and in Physics.

I am starting the group at NUS in December 2026, jointly in the School of Computing and the Department of Physics; see my NUS faculty profile.

We work on quantum advantage and the boundary of classical simulation, quantum simulation of many-body and open systems, and machine learning for quantum computing — see research for what that means in practice. Theory-leaning, numerics-leaning, and hardware-facing projects are all available, and qualified candidates will also have opportunities to work with industry partners in quantum computing, including Quantinuum, Google, and IBM, and to take part in an ongoing collaboration spanning North America, Europe, and Asia.

Open positions

• Postdoctoral researchers — starting in 2027, or from December 2026 if you are ready sooner. Funded positions; candidates holding or applying for their own fellowship are welcome too, and I am glad to host such applications. Apply through Academic Jobs Online by 15 November 2026.
• PhD students — through the NUS graduate programmes in Computer Science or Physics. Places are funded, with stipend and tuition awarded on admission; see the funding section for awards that need a separate application.
• Visiting researchers and students — for focused projects, typically three months or longer. If you are applying to a scheme that funds a research visit — a national scholarship council, an exchange programme, or your own institution's travel funding — I am glad to host you and to write the invitation letter and supporting material those applications ask for. Write early: most run on an annual cycle, and the host letter is usually needed well before the scheme's own deadline.
• Master's, FYP and UROP students — once I am on campus.

Singapore

Singapore is building quantum hardware, not only funding papers about it. The National Quantum Processor Initiative is developing trapped-ion and neutral-atom machines — the platforms closest to my own experimental work — and Quantinuum opened a Singapore R&D centre in March 2026, with Singapore set to be the first country outside the United States to host its Helios machine. For a group working on verifiable advantage, having the machines and the people who build them a few kilometres away changes which experiments are worth attempting.

PhD application timeline

Two things people miss. The two departments have different deadlines — Physics closes about a month before Computer Science — and SINGA is a separate application with its own date.

If you cannot pick me as a supervisor in the application form, that is expected — I start in December 2026 and do not yet appear in every NUS system. Name me in your research statement, and send me an email so I know to look out for your application.

Apply early rather than on the deadline: Research Scholarship places are allocated as strong applications are reviewed, not after the closing date. Applications arriving after a deadline are rolled to the following intake. Get in touch a month or two beforehand — it is much easier to help if I know you are applying.

Funding

PhD places and postdoctoral positions in the group are funded — a PhD place carries a monthly stipend and tuition support, awarded with admission to the programme, and there is nothing extra to apply for. The awards below are the ones that do need a separate application, and are worth knowing about.

For PhD applicants

• Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA) — for international applicants; a separate application with its own deadline, later than the programme deadline. Students choose their host lab, which can be here.
• National Quantum Scholarships Scheme (NQSS) — quantum-specific national funding, applied for separately and open year-round. It requires a CQT supervisor, so for a strong candidate I am glad to arrange co-supervision with a CQT colleague.

For postdoctoral applicants

• NRF Fellowship — for researchers within about seven years of the PhD who are ready to run an independent programme; needs a host institution to put you forward.
• CQT Alice Postdoctoral Fellowship — supports women researchers in quantum science and technology at CQT.
• Portable fellowships from your own region — MSCA, SNSF, NSERC, JSPS, Humboldt and similar schemes can often be held abroad. If you are applying for one, write early — I am glad to act as host and to work on the proposal with you.

A full index of NUS graduate awards is here; schemes and deadlines change from year to year, so treat the official pages as authoritative.

Getting in touch

Email me at zhangyx@comp.nus.edu.sg with:

• a CV,
• a short note on what you would like to work on and why — a paragraph is plenty, and a specific reaction to one of the papers on the research page tells me far more than a general statement of interest,
• for PhD applicants, when you intend to apply and which scholarship you are targeting.

I read everything that arrives, though replies can be slow during heavy stretches.